1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to parts procurement, and in particular, to methods, systems and apparatus for updating and communicating the current status of parts used by an enterprise to designers and procurement specialists
2. Description of Related Art
It is generally known in the manufacturing industry that a product is only as good as its collective components. In the early design phase of a product development cycle, design engineers are tasked with selecting the parts that will be incorporated into a product design. While the selections made by the designer may be technically sound, they may not always be the most cost effective from a financial standpoint. This is because the designer is often not privy to important business data, such as, cost rebates available from a particular supplier. Further, these part selections may not be the most pragmatic from a logistical standpoint since the designer is not equipped with the business skills or knowledge of a procurement specialist. As a result, parts having some business and/or technical risks may be passed on to development for use in a product design.
Procurement specialists evaluate the business risks associated with particular part selections. This is accomplished by examining various factors associated with such part selections, such as, reliability, supplier technology and capability, availability, etc.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide methods, systems and apparatus for reviewing parts status, flagging problem and/or risk parts, and taking any actions necessary to mitigate such problems and/or risks as early in the design phase as possible. These methods, systems and apparatus will avoid delivering parts having business and/or technical risks to development, thereby improving production yields, lead times and costs.